


There you are💫

by heyidkyay



Series: Larry Stylinson Oneshots [18]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Army, Childhood Sweethearts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Graduation, Louis Tomlinson Calls Harry Styles Pet Names, M/M, Niall Horan & Harry Styles Friendship, Niall Horan & Louis Tomlinson Friendship, Soldier Louis Tomlinson, Surprises, Teacher Harry Styles, University Student Harry Styles, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27027253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyidkyay/pseuds/heyidkyay
Summary: Five moments in Harry's life after Louis' first deployment.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Series: Larry Stylinson Oneshots [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749181
Comments: 2
Kudos: 55





	There you are💫

"Ah! Thought you were supposed to be good at this Haz." Niall teased with a large grin as he jogged back down the field after scoring yet another goal.

Harry just laughed lightly along with the boy before looking down at his feet for a moment, his trainers were caked in thick mud and he couldn't stop himself from swallowing at the sight. They reminded him of a certain brunette who used to track mud all throughout their shared little flat- who'd leave his football boots at the front door instead of outside where Harry always had to remind him was where they belonged.

Normally during their little football matches that had since become a tradition, he'd have Louis screaming in his ear from over his shoulder or from across the field, telling him when to run and when to shoot. It was strange playing without him; everything was strange without him.

When Harry gazed back up he was met with the sight of the Irish lad, who was now stood beside him, wearing an an guilty smile. Harry could tell he was about to say something- most likely apologise for not thinking, for reminding him of the loss- but the green eyed lad beat him to it, "We gunna finish this game or not Horan? Or are you just scared I'll catch up?"

Niall rolled his eyes dramatically before smirking playfully over in his direction, "Oh young Harold, you're gunna regret those words." Harry shook his head in amusement, letting a small chuckle slip from his lips as he did, before they both got back into the game, Niall running up the field towards where Zayn was stood, mindlessly scrolling through his phone instead of defending their goal.

Harry gazed over to his right to find Liam smiling cockily at him, radiating an air of confidence from where he was stood lent up against the goal post, "Come on Haz! Get close enough and I'll go easy on you mate!" Harry narrowed his eyes at the older lad, shaking his head lightly as he breathed out a faint chuckle before flipping Liam off.

Harry was playing as best as he could, he was fairly good at defending but when it came to scoring he was hopeless. Niall was already up by two and concentrating like Harry had never seen him before- it was definitely a sight to behold as the lad practically avoided studying like it was the plague.

The wind was starting to pick up just as Niall went to shoot from outside of the box, Harry watched closely as the ball flew through the air, missing the goal by a quarter of an inch. Harry's eyes lit up as Zayn kicked it back down the field, the ball landing only metres away, his green gaze locked on Niall before the rest of the world fell away. Quickly he sprinted towards the ball, shifting on his feet as he rounded his body to stride towards Liam, who was now in his keepers position, knees bent, hands held out before him. Harry's breathing quickened as he glided down the field, green grass kicking back beneath his feet as the lad silently thanked the stars above for not landing him on his arse- although there was still time.

It was only when he had made it to the halfway point- between the centre of the field and the goal- did he hear a chorus of familiar cheers. The blood was pumping in his ears thunderously and his breaths were shallow and sharp as he kept his focus on the ball before him, not even second guessing the voice, too lost in the moment to think much of it.

"Go on Haz! Shoot!"

When Harry was finally near enough he looked up to find that Liam's face was furrowed and concentrated, he could feel the adrenaline rushing throughout his veins as Niall approached from behind him. Slowly but surely Harry pulled back his right leg and kicked. Time seemingly stood still as they all watched the ball sail through the air, only just dodging Liam's gloved hands before finally hitting the back of the neck. Harry whooped loudly before falling into a fit of laughter, spinning on his heel to rub the victory in his best mates face but his words quickly got caught in his throat once his gaze landed on a familiar blue.

The air was knocked out of his lungs -he was back, the man he had missed most was back, with his sunshine smile and bright blue eyes. Harry didn't care for the lack of oxygen as he started off in a run, stumbling slightly as tears started to blur his vision. It didn't stop him though, he physically couldn't stop running even if he had wanted to, his body practically had a mind of its own as it flung itself into the open arms of the man in uniform.

The aching sobs that rattled through him were muffled by a fitted jacket as he buried his face into the mans shoulder, his arms wrapped around the soldiers neck as the man hoisted him up off the ground.

"Missed you so much, Lou." Harry cried as he tightened his hold, fearful that if he let go now that the man would disappear. "So, so much."

Louis chuckled breathlessly as he placed a few kisses into the boys head of hair, "Missed you too, love."

Harry gasped at the sound of the voice- sweet, airy and light, the very sound he had longed so much for since Louis' departure. He pulled back ever so slightly to capture the mans jaw in the palms of his hands, eyes scanning every detail he could find, "How- when- why?" He whispered out in awe before tugging the man back in for another much needed embrace, letting the familiar scent fill his nose and the gentle touch warm his heart. He had missed Louis like mad, it had been six months since his very first deployment and he had tried his very best to be as supportive as possible- but god, had it been hard. He was so beyond glad to have the man safe back home in his arms.

—

The first year of uni so far had been a struggle. If he was being brutally honest, everything without Louis was a struggle. He had always believed that heading off to university would have been something he'd have experienced with his best friend by his side, that belief had only solidified once he had been able to finally call the boy his own. But even though the older lad wasn't around much anymore, Harry was more than proud of him.

He still had his closest friends there with him though and of course he loved the three boys more than life itself, but it just wasn't the same and they all knew it. Louis was their missing puzzle piece.

It was a dreary Thursday morning when Harry sat in his first class of the day, staring out of the large glass windows beside him. The rain had been incessant over the last couple of days, only further dampening his mood, Christmas was coming soon and holidays since Louis' first deployment had become the hardest times of year. He was truly dreading it.

The classroom buzzed around him, faint chatter could be heard as his peers started on their work and then there was the light patter of raindrops that hit the window ledge just outside, calming his anxious edge. Ever since waking up this morning he had had this overwhelming feeling sat in the very bottom of his stomach, he couldn't for the life of him work out what it meant, only that it made him beyond nervous.

His attention drifted to those outside, a few brightly coloured umbrellas passed, lighting up the casted grey skies, and a flock of dark birds soared quite low, only to be blurred by the heavy downpour.

The sound of his name being called brought him back into the classroom and he gave the teacher a sheepish smile in apology when he turned to face her, silently questioning how many times she'd had to say his name before she finally caught his attention. The older woman didn't seem too irritated with him though if the small smile that painted her lips told him anything, he simply nodded at her in response. "There's someone waiting outside for you, just grab your things." She told him softly from where she was stood by the wooden door- Harry's heart dropped at her words.

He swallowed thickly, hands trembling as he tried his very best to stifle his textbooks and laptop into his bag. Everyone was watching him quietly but he paid them no mind as his breathing started to pick up, unable to stop himself from panicking. He'd had this conversation with Jay one too many times for it to mean anything else. If anything had happened to Louis in combat or whilst he had been deployed his next of kin would be the first to know, Jay would be the first person to be told. The many words they had shared in the familiar moss green kitchen flittered through his mind as he stumbled out of his chair and started to make his way through the rows of desks before him. " _You'll be the next_." The older woman had promised him as her hand clung tightly to his, tears brimming in both of their eyes as they silently thought of the worst. Harry just _knew_ that Jay was waiting for him outside, two words on the tip of her tongue, her heart broken and about to rip out his.

He captured his bottom lip between his teeth, willing back the tears that rimmed his eyes, begging to fall. Slowly but surely he made his way over to where his teacher was stood waiting wearing the kindest of smiles, Harry couldn't bring himself to say anything as he silently passed her by, soul aching, lungs fighting for air.

A single tear slipped as he passed the threshold and his hazy green gaze looked up to find the one person he needed most. Louis. He was stood there before him, grinning brightly, clad in his fitted uniform and matching beret, large duffle settled by his boots.

Harry couldn't bring himself to move. Finally allowing himself to breath now that he knew that Louis was safe, that he was there with him. He collapsed onto his knees, long curls flying as his head fell into his hands, body silently shaking as he cried tears of relief.

Within seconds he had a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, a familiar scent overwhelming his senses and the feeling of supple lips pressing against his temple as Louis gently rocked them back and forth. "It's alright lovely, I'm here- I'm okay." Louis whispered, a hand finding its way into Harry's head of hair to quietly soothe him, "Missed you like mad."

Harry could only splutter, grinning madly as he wept harder into the mans shoulder, gripping Louis' jacket in his fisted hands, wanting to make sure that it was all real.

"Thought I'd surprise you." Louis chuckled lightly, cautiously pulling away from the sobbing boy to cradle Harry's face in his hands, "Got here as soon as I could."

Harry nodded numbly, eyes shinning with tears and face flushed as his hands encased Louis' own. "I thought-" He managed to choke out before Louis was gently hushing him as a broken cry escaped his lips.

"Oh love, I'm sorry. So, so sorry." The soldier mumbled as he pulled Harry further into his hold, uncaring of the classroom full of fond onlookers as he peppered kisses into the side of the younger boys face. "Love you so much, couldn't wait to see you- I'm so sorry for scaring you."

"Love you too." Harry managed to croak out, his words getting lost in the material of the mans jacket but he knew that Louis had heard him when his hold tightened.

—

The biggest day of his life so far and Louis was missing it. Harry knew it had been silly to get his hopes up, he _knew_ that it would only lead to disappointment but still, there he was waiting for his name to be called, searching the large crowd for familiar coffee coloured hair and ocean blue eyes.

He was finally graduating. Three years and he had made it. Niall was sat beside him, grinning like a mad man as he watched their classmates head up one by one. "Can't believe us out of all people are fuckin' graduating." The Irish lad said, his voice laced with excitement as he tried his best to keep quiet.

Harry chuckled lightly, not quite believing it either as he clapped for the next student that had been called. "I know- who in their right mind thought that we'd be capable of becoming teachers?"

Niall cackled, his laughter overpowering the chorus of the crowd earning them harsh glares. The lad only shrugged in amusement before he was back to grinning again, Harry was just glad that Niall held enough enthusiasm for the both of them as he searched through the sea of faces once again.

A few more of their peers were slowly called up but all Harry could focus on was trying to spot Louis. There was no sign of him anywhere.

"I'm sure he would've been here if he could have Haz." Niall spoke softly beside him, placing a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder in hopes to comfort him slightly.

"I know, it's just not the same without him here." Harry replied quietly as he slumped back in his seat, the Irish lad could only nod lightly in agreement, mustering up his best smile. Harry knew that Niall missed Louis too- they all did- and he understood that it was just as hard for Niall to graduate without his best mate there with him too but the thought didn't make the noticeable absence any easier.

"Niall Horan!"

Niall's blue eyes widened at the sudden call of his name, he turned to Harry looking like a deer caught in headlights causing a loud laugh to escape the green eyed boy before Harry was shoving his best mate out of the chair. "Go on! Go and graduate you twat!" Harry chuckled as he shooed the lad off, smiling brightly as Niall stumbled over to the stage. He whooped and cheered louder than anyone else as his best friend was handed his well earned degree, he winked at him too when Niall strutted across the stage, holding his certificate high for the entire crowd to see.

For a moment he found himself seemingly forgetting about everything else, so beyond proud of his friend, of the boy he had grown up with- it was just so incredible to see.

Harry was unable to stop grinning as he mouthed back and forth to Niall who was now sat with the other graduates, letting name after name be called. Neither lad could truly believe that this day had come, that all their hard work had paid off.

"Harry Styles!"

The green eyed boy was startled by the the chorus of cheers that erupted from the surrounding crowd and practically jumped out of his seat when he understood what was occurring. He was finally getting his degree.

He ran a ring clad hand through his hair as he staggered over to the stage, taking small deep breaths to calm his erratic heart. He captured his bottom lip between his teeth as he made his way across the podium, looking out at the audience to find his huge family screaming and shouting their congratulations. Everyone was there, his mum, dad, sister, Zayn and Liam, even Jay and the girls, tears sprang to Harry's eyes upon seeing them all, so thankful to have such an amazing support system. He grinned out at them proudly before turning to shake the chancellor's hand, his eyes widening in disbelief when he wasn't met with the sight of faded silver hair and slightly wrinkled skin, his grin fell as he raised a hand to cover the gasp that slipped from his lips.

"No." Harry whispered out, his heart pounding in his chest, blood rushing in his ears, unable to fathom what was happening. Stood before him, smiling that cocky confident smile, was no other than Louis. His soldier. The love of his life. He couldn't stop his viridescent gaze from flickering back and forth between his family's amused smiles and loud cheers to the blue eyed man stood quietly beside him, holding out his certificate. In that moment he could care less about anything else, his mind reeling as he jumped into the soldiers awaiting arms, the crowds applause fading away as warm, wet tears escaped him. "You're here. You're actually here! I wasn't- I wasn't sure you'd make it." He mumbled into the mans neck, tears falling faster when he heard the sweet, airy laughter he had longed for on the loneliest of nights.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world, darlin'." Louis spoke, pulling away to bring the green eyed boy in for a long overdue kiss, whispering his _I love you_ against the press of their lips. Harry never wanted to let him go again.

—

"Alex, stay in the line please." Harry called out from behind the little boy, smiling softly as he watched his small class file out of the library. "And slow down a little when reaching the stairs- we don't need anyone tripping!" He added as he locked the heavy wooden door behind them before hurrying along the long line of children to help lead them back to their classroom.

He had been teaching for just over three years and loved it, looking after a roomful of tiny beings, teaching them, watching them grow. He'd been lucky enough to find a job at the local primary school not too far from home and had yet to leave since- he just couldn't bring himself to see what else was out there, everyone was so beyond welcoming and always so happy, it was an incredible environment, not just for the kids but for the adults too.

Harry smiled down at the sweet faces he passed, letting them chatter quietly as they walked throughout the school hallways, thinking about what he had to tell Louis later when the soldier phoned.

He was quickly pulled from his thoughts when the front of the line stopped abruptly causing a small line of falling dominos to occur. Alex, who was leading the line, had paused in his steps just as he had rounded a corner, Harry furrowed his brow before jogging over to see what was the matter, helping the rest of his pupils back onto their feet as he hurried past.

"Ale-" Harry started only for his breath to catch in his throat as he rounded the same corner, understanding then why the little boy had stopped.

"Mr Harry! Mr Harry, it's your Lou!" Alex exclaimed excitedly, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he frantically gestured towards the man stood outside of the door to their classroom. "You never said he was coming!" The tiny boy gasped as he tugged on the hem of a speechless Harry's jumper.

The next thing Harry knew a herd of small children were stampeding towards the grinning soldier who quickly lowered himself down to their height to engulf them all in a large group hug, laughing loudly as they all surely fell to the floor.

Harry just stood there, stunned- _he had supposed to call later that night, he wasn't supposed to be home for another two weeks!_ Slowly he wandered over to where his husband was laid spread out on the floor, a small smile forming on his lips as he drew closer to the messy pile of excited children, so beyond happy to see the older lad but even happier to see how he reacted to his class. It was nearing the end of the year but his students all knew about Louis, they loved hearing stories of the man, seeing pictures of his adventures, but what they looked forward to most was seeing him whenever he made it home. Each of Harry's classes had formed some sort of a connection with the soldier, finding the love story between the military man and their teacher so incredible. Harry often thought so too.

"You not gunna join Hazza?" Louis finally spoke out as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, children dangling from his arms and torso. Harry laughed wetly, only then realising he had tears staining his cheeks. He extended a hand out, grinning madly when he captured Louis' palm in his own. Harry had missed him like nothing else, his time away had affected him differently since their wedding early last year, their shared home felt so much bigger when the man wasn't there and birthdays and holidays were harder than ever before. So seeing the soldier so unexpectedly caused an array of emotions to surface.

Louis cautiously stood to his feet before dragging Harry into a warm embrace, Harry's class following after him, each of them clinging to the two men's legs, bubbling with excitement. "So good to have you home." Harry whispered gently as he pressed a subtle kiss to the soldiers jaw, arms tightly wound around Louis' neck, "Missed you." He sniffled lightly, letting the older lad comfort him as he ran a tender hand across his back.

"Didn't plan to surprise you but couldn't help myself." Louis chuckled out as he tightened his hold on Harry's waist, "So glad to be home though- to see you." Harry grinned a little wider, if that was even possible, his green eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I'll cook your favourite tonight," Harry whispered into the mans ear over the loud chorus of chatter below them, being overly mindful of the many listening ears, "but you'll have to bring desert."

Louis' loud laughter echoed throughout the hallway and Harry let himself go limp in the soldiers arms, smiling softly into the crook of the mans neck, thanking anything and everything he could for bringing his husband back home safely to him.

—

Rain poured outside. Its heavy patters echoing throughout the darkness. It was fairly late but not late enough. Harry sat at their little kitchen table, staring out of the window at the cloudy night sky, toying with the warm cup of tea he held in his hands.

Days had passed and he couldn't bring himself to leave the house. Time would tick on and he would just wait, letting everything pass him by. It was coming up to almost a week, of that he was certain, he had been counting up the seconds, the minutes, the hours, it had been nearly seven days and he had heard nothing from Louis. Not a call. A text. A letter. His heart truly ached, not knowing was slowly killing him. The nights had gotten so bad- he had always struggled sleeping whilst the man was away but recently he hadn't been able to blink, let alone sleep, without picturing the worst.

Jay had come and gone. Asking questions. Trying to shed some piece of mind. Bringing tea so that he would eat. Keeping his mind off things. She had heard nothing either. After the first few days had passed she had all but begged Harry to come and stay with her and the girls, but Harry couldn't bring himself to leave, not if there was a chance of someone coming to look for him.

The mug was slowly losing heat as he he gripped it tightly, the warmth being the only sense of comfort he had left. He'd felt so numb, just sat there waiting, for what he didn't care to know, he just sat waiting, praying, wishing.

It was so quiet. The slightest sound echoed off the walls and bounced around the empty house. The dimly lit kitchen was the only place he had found that could calm him slightly, the cold tiles chilled his bare feet and the bitter air that drifted through the open window allowed him to breath a little deeper. But everywhere he went his little sheep followed. He smiled faintly down at the curly haired labradoodle that rested beside his chair, the thick fur coat that brushed against his exposed ankles kept him somewhat grounded.

A sharp pattern of knocking scared him slightly and instantly Cliffs ears perked up as he bounded to his feet, skipping back and forth from the kitchen doorway to where Harry was sat. He took a deep breath as he settled the mug onto the wooden countertop, hands shaking as he moved to stand.

Another knock caused a bark to escape from Clifford, the labradoodle scurried out into the hallway to where the knocking had sounded after Harry had waved him off. He breathed in again, finding the task more difficult than he had moments before. It was too late for anyone else to be knocking. It was too late for it to be anything but his worst nightmare. It was too late.

Harry gripped at the beams on the kitchen doorway, trying his best to focus on the soft patter of Cliffs paws, wanting to steady himself. His chest was heavy and heaving, pleading for air that Harry was gasping desperately for, his entire body trembling as he dragged himself further into the hallway.

Clifford rounded his feet, running around him in circles, seemingly sensing his anxiety. Harry paused just before the front door, letting his fingertips trail over the labradoodles dark locks, focusing on the feeling, his other hand gripping the wall, terrified.

A loud bark broke him from his reeling mind, too many thoughts overwhelming him, his knees growing weaker. He dragged his hand over the exposed brick wall they had in the entryway and towards the metal handle, the sudden chill he felt beneath his palm brought him back to the present, to who was stood on the other side of his door.

The barking continued, only growing louder as he pushed the handle down, his throat closing and lungs screaming for oxygen.

The heavy door creaked as he slowly dragged it open, his downcast eyes trailing upwards only for a broken sob to escape him, his head falling forward as his legs gave way and his hand slipped from the handle.

Harry's body shook with harsh, heavy cries, his shoulders trembling and stomach sinking. A sudden wave of nausea overcame him as he sobbed harder, Cliffords wet nose brushed over his jaw and shoulder, whimpering lightly in distress as he dragged a paw over Harry's thigh. The green eyed man just gasped loudly, eyes burning, his whole being shaking.

A gentle hand gripped his shoulder and another settled on the back of his head as a pair of boots stepped past the threshold, the silent night disrupted by his gut wrenching wails. The figure before him crouched down, knees falling between Harry's own as his flushed face was pulled into a firm chest, a cautious hand falling to the small of his back to rub soothing circles over the thin fabric he wore. Harry hit as hard as he could, fisted hands pounding against the hard muscle before they caught in the soft jumper hidden beneath a large winter coat. "I thought you'd left me!" He wept, sniffling uncontrollably, heart pounding in his ears as more and more tears escaped him.

"Never." The soldier whispered out faintly, clutching Harry even closer, his own body trembling with silent sobs, fresh, wet tears painting his frost bitten cheeks, "Could never leave you. You're my everything."

**Author's Note:**

> Really hope you enjoyed this one, it took a while but I really loved writing it.


End file.
